Flashlight holder mounted on a hard hat



Dec. 18, 1962 R. KIDD I 3,069,539

FLASHLIGHT HOLDER MOUNTED on A HARD HAT Filed Dec. 17, 1959 INVENTORRalph Kidd 5 11 012: (h, Mam/2011 ATTORNEY United States Parana3,089,539 Patented Dec. 18, 1962 ice 3,069,539 FLASHLIGHT HOLDER MOUNTEDON A HARD HAT Ralph Kidd, Valier, Ill. Filed Dec. 17, 1959, Ser. No.860,158 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-60) The invention relates to flashlightholders for hard safety caps such for example as those used by miners.Flashlight holders for hard hats have been patented but require specialhat construction.

An object is to provide a flashlight holder made from one piece ofresilient sheetmetal adapted to resiliently grip and retain its positionupon the cap and readily removable and replaced thereon. Other objectsand advantages will appear hereinafter or will be obvious.

The invention consists in the novel construction and combinations ofparts hereinafter set forth in the claim.

In the accompanying drawings,

FIGURE 1 is a side view of the invention, as applied to the hard hat,and showing the flashlight.

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the invention.

FIGURE 3 is a front view of the invention as applied to the hat.

FIGURE 4 is a rear view of the same.

Referring to the drawings, the flashlight holder for hard safety caps ismade from one piece of spring sheet metal and it consists of anelongated plane flat body 1, having at each end thereof a pair ofupwardly extending clasps 2, adapted to detachably grip an ordinaryflashlight A pressed downwardly therebetween, said pairs of clasps being spaced sufliciently apart longitudinally of said body and havingsuflicient height to enable the flashlight to be pivotally raised ateither end thereof to vary the angle at which its light beam is directedwhile it is gripped by said clasps, as shown in dotted lines in FIG. 1.

The crown of the cap C is rounded and provided with a middlelongitudinal raised rib D, and with a front vertical face having atransverse clip B provided with a vertical socket. Said body 1 has atits forward end a depending elongated extension 3 bent downwardlytherefrom at an obtuse angle 4 thereto and at its rear end a shortdepending extension 5 bent downwardly therefrom at about a right anglethereto, said rear extension having at its lower end a middle recess 8engaged by said rib D. Said forward extension 3 is of substantially lesswidth and substantially less length than that of said body 1. Saidforward extension 3 slidably engages said vertical socket of the clip B,thereby increasing the angle of and tensioning said obtuse angle bend 4,and depressing said rear extension tightly against the top of said crownC, whereby the flashlight holder is caused to resiliently grip the crownof the cap against accidental escape therefrom. The engagement of recess8 with rib D prevent lateral or transverse movement of the flashlightholder upon the crown of the cap. Said rear extension 5 has a roundedlower edge 7 conforming to the rounded top of the crown C of the capagainst which it fits.

In the application of the flashlight holder to the hard cap, said rearextension 5 is at its lower end abutted against the top of the cap andsaid forward extension 3 entered within the socket of said clip B. Theholder be ing then pressed downwardly will pivot upon said rearextension where it contacts the top of the cap and said forwardextension 3 will slide home within the socket of said clip, and saidbody I will contact the top of the cap, as in FIG. 1, to limit saidmovement. Said obtuse angle bend 4 will be simultaneously increased andtensioned and said rear extension 5 pressed tightly against the top ofthe cap.

Due to the aforesaid, the flashlight holder and the flashlight aresecurely held to the cap against accidental escape therefrom, by the useof simple means capable of economical manufacture, and the need forexpensive hat construction is dispensed with. The two pairs of claspsfor the flashlight being spaced apart from each other longitudinally ofsaid body, the on and off switch E of the flashlight is readilyaccessible.

The right is reserved to modifications coming within the scope of theclaim.

I claim:

The combination with a hard safety cap the crown of which is rounded andprovided with a vertical front face and a middle longitudinal raisednarrow rib, said front face having a transverse clip provided with avertical socket, of a flashlight holder made from one piece of resilientsheet metal and comprising an elongated flat body having two pairs ofupwardly bent clasps and a flashlight mounted therein, said body havingat its forward end a depending elongated extension bent downwardlytherefrom at an obtuse angle thereto and at its rear end a shortdepending extension bent downwardly thereform at about a right anglethereto, said rear extension having at its lower end a middle recessengaged by said longitudinal rib, said forward extension being ofsubstantially less width and substantially less length than that of saidbody, said forward extension slidably engaging said vertical socket,thereby simultaneously increasing the angle of and tensioning saidobtuse angle bend and depressing said rear extension tightly against thetop of said crown,

whereby said holder is caused to resiliently grip the crown of said capagainst escape therefrom.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS691,623 Harris Jan. 21, 1902 803,819 Getz Nov. 7, 1905 1,055,746 HirschMar. 11, 1913 1,222,458 Peterson Apr. 10, 1917 1,319,997 Galloway et al.Oct. 28, 1919 1,454,034 Barnstable May 8, 1923 1,689,090 Watkins Oct.23, 1928 1,749,998 Collins Mar. 11, 1930 1,821,305 Hauenstein Sept. 1,1931 2,421,643 Ostli June 3, 1947 2,765,398 Mays Oct. 2, 1956

